LMC hand therapist belongs to rare group

In a three-county area, Sandra Martin is one of a kind. Around the world, she's one of only about 5,000. And she's on hand, in more ways than one, right here in Lexington.

BY DWIGHT DAVISThe Dispatch

In a three-county area, Sandra Martin is one of a kind.Around the world, she's one of only about 5,000.And she's on hand, in more ways than one, right here at Wake Forest Baptist Health — Lexington Medical Center.Martin works as an occupational therapist, but what makes her unique is that she specializes in hand therapy and is one of only a few who are certified by the Hand Therapy Certification Commission."When we say hand therapy, we're talking about from fingers to shoulders," explains Martin, a Lexington native who has worked at LMC for the past four years. "Hand therapy helps you recover function to your hand or arm after injury or disease."The most common conditions she treats are fractures, sprains and strains of muscles, injuries to tendons, ligaments and nerves, repetitive use injuries such as carpel tunnel syndrome and arthritis and joint pain. In addition, she deals with lacerations, which concerns the healing of delicate skin tissue."The flexor tendon lacerations are pretty much the granddaddy of them all," Martin said. "You have to take precautions when you are allowed to move it. Scar tissue becomes the big enemy."Not surprisingly, she sees a wide range of peculiarities. One common break, she says, is known as "the boxer fracture." That occurs when someone slams their fist against an object. Most times it happens when a person is angry. Lots of times it's a male and the object is a refrigerator. "What is it with men and refrigerators?" Martin mused.Other accidents border on the bizarre. She tells the story of a child in bed with a glass in hand, wondering if they could squeeze the glass hard enough to break it. "Sure enough," Martin said.One of the reasons her specialization is so rare may be that such certification requires a minimum of 4,000 hours in direct hand therapy as well as successful completion of examinations, advanced clinical skills and theory in upper limb rehabilitation and five years of clinical experience.Martin has 20 years of experience in occupational therapy.She became interested in her vocation after breaking her arm. "And I had to see a therapist," Martin said. "I saw the first-hand skills required in helping a patient return to full function. I understand the difference it makes in one's daily activities."Before entering the field, Martin earned an associate's degree from Stanly Community College. She worked as an occupational therapy assistant for 10 years and earned her bachelor's degree in occupational therapy from Winston-Salem State University. "The outpatient side of it always appealed to me," she explained. "I came from a private practice before I came to work here. I customize patients' treatment programs and work with them in one-on-one treatment sessions to achieve the best possible outcome.""I am confident when referring patients to Sandy," said Dr. Sims Riggan of Lexington Orthopedic Clinic. "She has the knowledge and skills to manage their recovery and does so with compassion."Martin says the key to an excellent outcome is the "close communication between the physician, the patient and me." "I often have patients who have been treated by hand surgeons from other areas of the state or outside North Carolina, and the surgeons are confident that certified hand therapists have the knowledge to rehabilitate diseases and injuries the surgeons have treated."A wrist fracture brought Rick Barnett of Lexington and Martin together. "Sandy's knowledge and skills enabled me to recover much faster than I anticipated," said Martin's former patient.Patients may call 238-4776 to make an appointment with LMC's rehabilitation services department.According to the hospital, it accepts most insurance plans. Dwight Davis can be reached at 249-3981, ext, 226 or at dwight.davis@the-dispatch.com.

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